same-sex marriage – orinam https://new2.orinam.net Hues may vary but humanity does not. Mon, 20 Mar 2023 06:33:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 https://new2.orinam.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-imageedit_4_9441988906-32x32.png same-sex marriage – orinam https://new2.orinam.net 32 32 Queer relationships and Natal Family Violence: WP 260 of 2023 https://new2.orinam.net/queer-relationships-natal-family-violence-wp260/ https://new2.orinam.net/queer-relationships-natal-family-violence-wp260/#respond Mon, 20 Mar 2023 06:17:45 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=16227 The Union Government of India seems to hold the notion of  ‘Indian family unit… with  a husband, a wife and children” sacrosanct, as detailed in their opposition to the marriage equality petitions.

However, those of us who have experienced violence from natal families as queer/trans persons or groups and collectives working in crisis response know how oppressive and violent such family units can be. Forced marriage to other-gender individuals, house arrest, curative rape and other forms of conversion therapy are all ammunition in the hands of natal families trying to make their (adult) offspring conform to the straight, cis and narrow.

A few of us (members of queer collectives focused on issues of cis queer women, trans and intersex persons) have been working together for the last couple of months to file an intervention in the “same sex marriage case” currently in the Supreme Court. We are happy to share with you this petition filed on behalf of some of us working with the communty over the last 30 years as well as some queer trans couples.

Unlike some of the other petitions, our pleas are essentially based on the extent of violence that queer and trans folx have to face from their natal/assigned at birth families and the fact that this violence continues even as we try to build our lives away from them. The arguments are built on the enormous experience of familial violence that we all have and we are looking at the SC to understand this and to give us some rights to lessen the control that these families have over us, even as adults.

So besides marriage, we are also asking for the removal of the notice period as it exists in the Special Marriage Act as of now, but more crucially, we are also asking for the court to recognise that those of us who choose to be / are single, or do not wish to marry, also need the right to appoint person/s of choice who can act on our behalf when the need arises, instead of our assigned families, who often choose to ignore our wishes when they assume control in our lives in times of need.

This petition has been possible due to the collective experiences and the consultations over time that we have had especially as LBI women and trans persons. We are happy to share the petition with all of you.

Click here for the petition WP260_2023

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Statement by Indian groups and individuals on Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 https://new2.orinam.net/statement-by-indian-groups-and-individuals-on-nigeria/ https://new2.orinam.net/statement-by-indian-groups-and-individuals-on-nigeria/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2014 03:58:25 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=10058 Statement by Indian groups and individuals on Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act
[For full list of signatures, click here]

March 10, 2014

To:
President, Members of Parliament and the People of Nigeria

Through:
H.E. Ndubuisi Vitus Amaku
High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
EP.4 Chandragupta Marg,
Chanakyapuri New Delhi-110021
India
Tel: (+91) 24122142/143/144
Fax: (+91) 24122138

We register here our strong condemnation of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013. The act, signed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on January 7, 2014, violates the basic human rights of same-sex desiring individuals, their families, friends, loved ones and their supporters, by impeding their right to live and love without harm to others, in enjoyment of the rights of freedom and equality guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. In the face of this severe blow to the struggle for universal human rights, we reassert our solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer people of Nigeria, and of all 36 of Africa’s 55 countries where same-sex relations are illegal.

The Act not only prohibits and criminalises the institutionalisation of same sex relationships, but also prevents the registration of organisations, clubs or societies that pertain to multiple queer genders and sexualities. Public display of amorous relations between persons of the same gender invites a jail term of up to 10 years, and anyone – irrespective of their sexuality – who witnesses and/or aids a same sex civil union, meeting, registration of organisation is also liable to be punished under this draconian law. It is clear that the law is meant to clamp down on any form of love and affection that is non-heteronormative. We are astonished by the Nigerian government’s blind and misguided belief that a law can serve as an effective deterrent to love.

We write as citizens and groups of India, also a former British colony grappling with the multiple legacies of colonialism, of which the inheritance of homophobic laws is only one. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1861, recently reinstated by the Supreme Court represents the most aggressive institutionalisation of the criminalisation of homosexuality in the Indian subcontinent. In both cases, the State has acted against its people, failing not only to recognise their fundamental human rights, including the right to dignity, equality, non-discrimination and personal liberty, but also effectively condemning millions of its citizens to compromised health. This is particularly egregious in countries like India and Nigeria with some of the world’s largest populations of persons affected by HIV/AIDS. The threat of violence, harassment, and abuse against queer persons in both countries will continue unabated, having now received a particularly insidious form of State sanction.

We believe that it is homophobia, rather than homosexuality that is a colonial legacy. Today, we are engaged, along with our counterparts in other ex-British colonies, in an on-going struggle against this legacy of colonialism, a struggle in which we have relied primarily on the activist labours of our people and on the moral and legal commitments of laws and Constitutions that we have given unto ourselves. As a postcolonial state that is proud of its hard-won independence, we understand, share and support Nigeria’s commitment to realising and maintaining democratic decision making processes, in line with your Constitution and in the exercise of your sovereignty, unimpeded by the external world.

It is important to emphasise that the Act disregards and devalues the lives of Nigeria’s own people. We urge you to listen to those brave Nigerian voices in every walk of life, who have stood up for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people in Nigeria without regard to considerations of tribe, region, religion, sex, nationality, disability, or sexuality.

We reach out in solidarity against attempts at imperialist control over our political, moral, ethical and cultural lives. The irony of history is that the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013, which is an instance of such attempts at control, is being hailed as evidence of the expression of sovereignty but is in fact criminalizing long, established and documented cultural practices of same sex desire and relationships in Nigeria. To recognise the rights of all Nigerians to lives of dignity, equality and freedom of expression and assembly, by immediately repealing the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013, would be the true assertion of sovereignty.

Signed:

Aapurv, Delhi*
Abhijit Majumder, Mumbai
Abhishek Singh, DU, Delhi
Achala, Mumbai
Achintya,
Aditya Mandre, Bangalore
Ahmad Fawaz, Delhi
Akbar Chawdhary, President, JNUSU, Delhi
Akshay Khanna, Brighton, UK and Delhi, India
Alakshendra Singh Yadav, Gwalior
Ali M. Naqvi, Garden Grove,CA USA
Ali Shahid, JNU, AISA, Delhi
Amalina Dave, India
Amar, Chandigarh
Amit Turner, Mumbai
Amrita Chanda, Bangalore
Andrea D’Cruz, London, UK
Anita Dube, Delhi
Ankit Agrawal, Delhi
Ankita Gupta, Child Rights & Queer Activist, Guwahati
Ankur Mondal, Delhi
Anuja Jaiman, Hindustan Times, Delhi
Anumitra, Delhi University, Delhi
Anuradha Mukherjee, Delhi
Apratim Mukhopadhyay, Kolkata
Arjun Joshi, Delhi
Arti Agarwal, Mumbai
Ashim Nilim Akash, Guwahati
Ashish Kumar, JNU Unit, AISA, Delhi
Ashley Tellis, Delhi
Asim Ghani, Journalist & Writer, Karachi, Pakistan Aurvi Sharma,
Ayesha Kidwai, Delhi
Ayush Agarwal, Mumbai
B. Kaur,
Bhanu Pratap Pangtey, Haldwani
Bhargavi Davar, Bapu Trust, Pune,
Bijay Khapangee Thapa, Delhi
Bitopi Dutta, Guwahati
C. Moulee, Orinam, Chennai
Chayanika Shah, LABIA Queer Feminist LBT Collective, Mumbai
Chetan, Mysore
Chitra Nagarajan, Bangalore
Chittajit Mitra, Allahabad
Debika Chatterjee, Mumbai
Deeptaarko Dutto, Malda
Deepthi, Chennai
Dhamini Ratnam, journalist, Mumbai
Ditipriya Ghosh, Delhi
Dr Abhi Shetty, Psychiatrist, Sheffield, UK
Dr. Biswaroop Chatterjee, Associate Professor, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun
Elakshi Kumar
Georgina Maddox, Delhi Queer Pride Committee and LABIA, Delhi
German Martinez, Mexico City, Mexico
Gita Sahgal, Centre for Secular Space, London, UK
Harish Iyer, Bombay, india
Hayley Reid, Justice for Gay Africans, London, UK
Hina Saiyada, Filmmaker and ally, Mumbai
Janet Price (Dr), DaDaFest UK, Liverpool, UK
Janine Shroff, Bombay
Jaya Sharma, Delhi
Kabi, Bombay
Kanya Dixit, Gurgaon
Katyayani Dalmia, PhD Candidate New School for Social Research
Kaushik Gupta, Advocate, Kolkata
Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA, Delhi
Kimberly Lacroix, Delhi
Kritika Nepal, Sikkim
Krystyna Grant, London, UK
L Ramakrishnan, Chennai
Lalit Kumar, Delhi
Lesley Esteves, Delhi
Liz Little, Compass Disability Services, Wells UK
Lola Okolosie, teacher and writer, London, UK
Manjira Das, Delhi
Mario da Penha, Rutgers University, Bombay
Mayur Suresh, London, UK
Melissa Johnson, Ocean Springs, MS, USA
Mili Dutta, Guwahati
Monica Narula, Delhi
Mukesh Bharti, BBAU, Lucknow
Namitha Barhadath, Mumbai
Namrata Adlakha, India
Nandan Singh Latwal, Earthcare Outreach Trust, Delhi
Naomi Honey, London, UK
Neelu Bhuman, Filmmaker, London, UK and Hyderabad, India
Neeraj
Neha Majumder, Kolkata
Nikhil Kulkarni, Mumbai
Niruj Mohan
Noor Enayat, Delhi
Orinam collective, www.orinam.net, Chennai
Parija Chandra
Pauline Gomes, India
Pavan Khera Pattar, London, UK
Pooja Badarinath, CREA
Prachi Arya, Delhi, India
Prakash K Ray, bargad.org, Delhi
Pramada Menon, Gurgaon
Prasad Bhide, Mumbai
Prasanna R, Orinam, Chennai
Prashant Kumar, JNU Unit, AISA, Delhi
Praveen Rajendran, Chennai
Pronoy Rai, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
R. Padma Kanya, Delhi
R. Vaishno Bharati, Delhi
Rad Dice, Los Angeles
Rafiul Alom Rahman, DU Queer Collective, Delhi
Rahul Rao, Bangalore Rainbow Pride
Rajib Chakrabarti, Kolkata
Ranjit Monga, Delhi
Rashné Limki, University of London, London, UK
Ritesh Kumar, Ranchi
Ritu Dalmia, Delhi
Rohit K Dasgupta,
Ronnie Vakil, Mumbai
Rukmini Sen, Hillele.org, Mumbai
Rupali Samuel, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Ruth Vanita, Gurgaon
S. Smruthi Narayan, LGBT Activist, Hyderabad
Sachin Jain, GayBombay.org, Mumbai
Saloni, India
Sandhya Luther, Hyderabad
Sandhya Sharma, Macnchester, UK Sandip Mukherjee, Calcutta
Sandy Gill, Black Feminists, Sanjana Aswani, India
Sanjib Chakraborty, NACO­-NERO, Guwahati
Sankari, Nirangal, Chennai
Sanoj, Bangalore
Saptarshi Mandal, Lawyer, Delhi
Sashi Azad, AISA, Delhi
Sathya murthy, Chennai, India
Saurabh Masurkar, a responsible and concerned global citizen, Mumbai
Saurabh Nair, Pune
Saurabh Shabdik, Silchar
Seema Baquer, Delhi
Seema Baquer, Women with Disabilities India Network, Delhi
Shankar , Chennai
Shankar Gupta, Evalueserve, KPO, Delhi
Shashank, Gurgaon
Shehla Rashid, AISA, Delhi
Shilpa Ahluwalia, Goa
Shilpa Phadke, India
Shohini Ghosh, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia , Delhi
Shraddha Chickerur, Pune
Shreya, Bangalore
Shubhangi, Lawyer, Lucknow
Sonali Pattnaik, PhD scholar
Sonia Singhal, Delhi
Sreekala MG, Delhi
Srinivas M, Good AsYou , Bangalore Sudipto Pal, Bangalore
Suneeta Dhar, Delhi
Sunil Choudhary, AISA, Delhi
Sunil
Suraj Sanap, Lawyer, Mumbai
Taranga Sriraman, TISS, Mumbai
Tridip Bhuyan, Guwahati
Trini Lopez, Brisbane, Australia
Tulika Srivastava, South Asia Women’s Fund, Lucknow
Tushar M, Equal India Alliance, Delhi
Uditi Sen, Kolkata, India
Veena, Evalueserve, Gurgaon
Vibhor Juyal, Lawyer, Delhi
Vic Advani Friman, Sweden/India
Vijay Kumar, JNUSU, Convenor, School of Languages, Delhi
Vikram S, Chennai
Vinay Chandran, Executive Director, Swabhava Trust, Bangalore
Vishal Muralidharan, Chennai

*All cities in India, unless specified

[For full list of signatures, click here]

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#VIBGYOR: Queering the Rainbow https://new2.orinam.net/vibgyor-queering-the-rainbow/ https://new2.orinam.net/vibgyor-queering-the-rainbow/#respond Wed, 11 Sep 2013 05:58:28 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=9194 This post is part of the Chennai Bloggers Club’s CBC #VIBGYOR blog tag where participants blogged on the colours of VIBGYOR each day, from September 1 to 7, 2013.

When the idea was put forth on CBC, I wanted to write up something that I firmly believe in – the freedom to be yourself, no matter what !! Letting the mind wander, I settled on the most obvious choice – the Rainbow flag for the LGBT movement. A firm believer in equality, I am of the opinion sexuality is one’s personal choice, not something to be judged by others. I intend to use this blog tag to give some insight into the Pride movement, hoping to raise some awareness among all of us.

rainbow flag image
Image source: http://emeraldsire.wordpress.com/

Violet for spirit

Originally flown for the first time at the San Fransisco pride movement in 1978, the flag has undergone a lot of changes over time. The San Francisco gay community adopted the rainbow flag with much fanfare, particularly in the wake of the assassination of the openly gay supervisor Harvey Milk (remember the movie Milk?) Thirty volunteers actually hand-dyed and stitched the flag for the San Fransisco pride movement.

Although the original flag consisted of eight colors (the VIBGYOR plus pink), the color pink was dropped later, due to its unavailability for mass production. Over the years, the rainbow flag has become the symbol for the pride movement all over the world. Each year, many cities across the world (and our very own Indian cities as well) celebrate the Pride March with much fanfare and gala. At each of these parades, the rainbow flag forms a very important element.

Indigo for harmony

The Stonewall riots of ’69 were perhaps the biggest inspiration to the whole Pride movement across the world. Following a raid by policemen on the Stonewall Inn in New York, members of the gay community resorted to violent demonstrations. Faced with discrimination even prior to that, all that was needed was a spark, to trigger a massive movement against what was considered ‘unjust’.

image of Stonewall Inn
Image source: http://www.whosestreetsourstreets.org/

Stonewall was originally a restaurant-cum-night club for heterosexual people. 1966 marked the year when the inn was converted to a gay bar. It did not have any license to sell liquor, but policemen were ‘paid off’ once a week. Patrons were required to sign their names after a bouncer ‘verified’ them through a peep hole.

On June 28 1969, a few policemen had entered the bar undercover to gather evidence, and in the wee hours of the morning, the place was fully surrounded by policemen who ‘took’ the place under seizure. By the time police wagons arrived to take custody of all the patrons arrested, the numbers had swelled outside the bar and there was a lot of commotion. Slowly, the commotion gave way to protests by the arrested people, many of whom were trying to escape or defy the police action. Later, the police were kept inside the bar, only to be rescued by another backup team. By then, emotions were running high. Slowly, the crowds cleared. But the next day, the riots began again, this time supported by tourists, bystanders and the like. Christopher Park (image below) nearby became base camp.

image of Christopher Park
Image source: Wikipedia

The aftermath of the Stonewall riots saw the formation of many LGBT support groups and alliances including the Gay Liberation Front, Gay Activists Alliance. The first ever Pride March in US history took place at the same Christopher park exactly a year after the Stonewall incident. Also, pride marches took place in Los Angeles and Chicago.

It must be said that the riots, though very sad in nature, served to inspire a lot of people to take up this activism world wide. Our own country too has had its share of activism with cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi taking up the pride march each year where people “celebrate” who they are. Isn’t that what life is all about – To be who you are?

Blue, Green and Yellow for Magic, Nature and Sunlight

My most sincere apologies for not being able to post for the last two days, and a bigger apology for having to combine three posts into one. Work and studies have taken a serious toll the past few weeks and its been very hard to write. Yet, a commitment is a commitment. Ergo …

The topic of marriage has always been contentious. People have, for quite a while now, been trying to break free of caste/religion based shackles that constrict marriages across these boundaries. We have seen a lot of extreme cases, sometimes with the Khap Panchayats, fatwas and what not! It certainly is a challenge for a lot of us to look beyond these limitations to truly have a matrimony with the person we love. That said, this challenge is a lot more Herculean when it comes to the union of two people of the same sex.

marriage equality logo
Image source: HRC

The first few years of the 21st century perhaps formed a significant phase in the recognition of marriage equality between people of the same sex. More than a dozen countries in the world today recognize same-sex marriages, the most significantly recent perhaps being New Zealand. In addition, a lot of countries recognize civil unions. And then there are countries that have a strict “Oh My God, no no, its a sin” attitude.

Ancient Chinese and Roman historical records mention male relationships.Medieval history has it that a Spanish church performed a same sex marriage between two men way back in 1061. In contemporary times, Denmark perhaps is the first country that recognized a legal relationship for same sex couples, back in 1989. Netherlands, in 2001, became the first country ever to give legal validity to same sex marriages. South Africa, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Norway are a few other countries that recognize same sex marriages by law. Mexico is perhaps one of the few countries that legalized adoption by same sex couples. The United Kingdom recognizes civil unions, but not marriages. And then there’s Obama, who has been generally very supportive of this cause.

map of countries where homosexuality is criminalized
Image source: Wikipedia

India is one of the many countries where discussing sexuality itself is considered a taboo. Well, discussing sex is looked down upon, let alone sexuality. However, a significant step was taken back in 2009 when the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes “sexual activity against the order of nature”. This is largely perceived as a big milestone for the LGBT community’s fight towards equality.

Recent years have seen a rise in the number of activists and support groups in India that patronize the cause for equality. Pride parades have been up and about in many Indian cities including our very own Chennai. There are a lot of NGOs and support groups that organize these Pride parades and like any event typically Indian, the parades are celebrated with much pomp and show; not to mention the colors and high spirits.

There is no doubt that India has a long way to go before it can even think about legalizing same sex marriages, let alone take any step towards it. That said, I do believe that in a way, this sometimes seems logical as well. A country that has a deep sense of cultural attachment; a country where emotions run deep and pounce hard; a society which has its own troubles to fathom; a community that still is fighting hard to provide respect for its citizens irrespective of caste, religion and color; a place that still strives to provide for security to both women and men; discussion of homosexuality is something way out of its league. Yet, positive strides are being achieved towards this, and things would take their own sweet time. But hope is what we as humans in general, and Indians in specific have in abundance. The country sure has a long way to go in this direction, but it will.

Orange for healing

From childhood, we are taught to love. Love thy neighbors, love your parents, love your friends, your family, your pets; well what not? Going by that simple reasoning, we all hope to love. And most certainly, be loved. Marriages are merely a ceremony that, in some sense, officiates this love between two individuals.Why should one be denied the chance to love someone who they think could be ‘the one’? Why put a tag on this and say it is against nature?

Things may well have been so way back in history. So be it. But times have changed, haven’t they? Cultures have evolved; societies have evolved; humans have evolved – so why not evolve our magnanimity? A mere acceptance of ‘so called deviation from what has been deemed normal’ – I do understand that it is hard. True, it really is. But a trial wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Every individual, man or woman, certainly has the right to choose whom he/she wants to love, make love to, spend time with, spend a life with. Indeed, as a human, that’s perhaps the most fundamental right any person is entitled to. If a man wants to be with another man, that’s his personal preference. If a woman wants to say ‘I do’ to another woman, that is her individual choice. If a person so believes that his ‘given gender’ isn’t really what it is, that is his/her belief.

I believe that the confrontation arises when individuals want to deviate from what has been taught to be normal; what has been said is right. Again, who are we to deny them this ‘deviation’? Who really bestowed this ‘I have the right to reject’ notion? If that is the case, the other person well has the ‘right to reject your rejection’ – well that’s a chain, much like Rachel and Phoebe asking Joey if Monica and Chandler ‘know that we know they know we know’ (I had to bring in atleast one F.R.I.E.N.D.S reference). Again, even in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Carol and Susanne were a same-sex couple after all, and the six of them seemed totally ok with it.

One may go on to argue that we, as a society, have a lot more to worry about, a lot to care about and acceptance of homosexuality is perhaps not so important. Maybe. But, just think about it. All these minorities ask is a small step towards a bigger good. Is that so hard? Don’t we, the society, owe it to our fellow humans this small step? A step to be more inclusive, where one can, quite simply, love who they want?

Think about it.

Red for Life

So finally, we come to the end of this blog tag. Initially, when I decided to take up this theme for the blog, I was a bit skeptical about the sort of ‘image’ that would be conveyed. But something told me to go ahead, nonetheless. And I did.

I’ve had some people leave out comments, and a many more appreciating my efforts to write about this topic, both within the Chennai Bloggers group, and outside it on Facebook. The best feedback (appreciation is more like it) I received was from this one person from Bangalore, who just messaged me on Facebook ten minutes before I started this post. I dedicate this finale to you. Here’s what he had to say:

“Dear Mr. Prashanth, I just want to thank you for your effort to sensitize such an important issue, so boldly on your blog. I know I may not speak for a lot of people, but just for myself. I just want to say that your posts have been very informative and yesterday’s post was particularly thought provoking. I am a 35 year old gay man in a very good position, who hasn’t been married, nor am I out to my parents (who, by the way, are 65+, so it is just too much effort to make them realize this). I sometimes wonder how difficult it is for the younger gay men of these days to talk about their sexuality so openly. After much thinking, I believe that it is the support of people like you who are around them, who are so accepting. I tried to leave an anonymous comment on your blog, but I guess you have turned that off. After much thinking, I decided to take a chance and send you this message from my own Facebook account, in the hope that you appreciate discretion”

To you, sir, I have just this to say – Thank You for the kind words; it means a lot.

On the hopeful note that the world becomes a better place to live in…

 

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Review: “8” Starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt https://new2.orinam.net/review-8-starring-georgeclooney-and-bradpitt/ https://new2.orinam.net/review-8-starring-georgeclooney-and-bradpitt/#comments Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:32:55 +0000 https://new2.orinam.net/?p=6136 Written By: Dustin Lance Black
Directed By: Rob Reiner

Dustin Lance Black’s play “8” is based on the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which overturned California’s Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative that amended the state constitution to restrict marriage to opposite-sex couples. On August 4, 2010, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker overturned Proposition 8, stating it is “…unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause because no compelling state interest justifies denying same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry.”

Judge Walker agreed to the request of opponents of Proposition 8 to broadcast the trial, a move that was opposed by the proponents of Prop 8. The proponents went to the US Supreme court, which ruled in their favor, blocking broadcast of the trial. This play is an attempt by American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to let America and the rest of the world know what happened at the trial, something the proponents fought so hard to keep from public view.

A stellar cast that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Jane Lynch, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christine Lahti brought the trial alive with amazing performances in the web premier of “8” on March 3, 2011. The premiere was watched by millions across the globe.

Image Source: Afer.org

The play begins with a conversation between female couple Kris Perry and Sandra Stier (played by Curtis and Lahti) and their teenage sons. The couple, along with another male couple, are the plaintiffs in the case. The kids are worried about their soccer practice and how their moms appear in the media, but not the significance of the case. They don’t want to be in court and are not happy that their moms have to spend time in the court taking time away from their home life. Perry tells them “Who knew! I have never personally sued Schwarzenegger before.” The statement evokes laughter, but is very powerful in articulating the enormity of the struggle that same-sex couple face in their quest to live life in a manner equal to their heterosexual counterparts.

The trial begins with the introduction of the couples, the attorneys and the Judge. Attorneys Ted Olson (played by Sheen) and David Boies (played by Clooney) who opposed each other in 2000’s Bush v. Gore are now on the same side arguing in favor of same-sex marriage. After the plaintiff’s testimony, Olson presents eight witnesses who are experts in marriage, American history, psychology, sociology, economics and political science. These experts make powerful and compelling arguments for same-sex marriage, dispelling myths and showing the court how providing everyone the right to marry will only lead a better society.

During cross examination of the expert witnesses, Charles Cooper (played by Bacon), raises questions about same-sex couples ability to procreate, whether domestic partnership is equal protection, whether there is any evidence from Massachusetts (where same-sex marriage was legalized in 2004) that allowing same-sex couples to marry has improved their lives, and whether conversion therapies have worked for people who ‘sincerely’ wanted to change their sexual orientation. Cooper calls the children of same-sex couples “irresponsible procreation” and “illegitimate natural children.” When these statements are made, the play shits to the plaintiffs, who express their outrage and also talk about their struggles, challenges and the discrimination they face in their daily lives. In a moving conversation between Stier and her son, Stier lovingly explains how the boy was conceived and delivered.

Cooper calls only two witnesses in defense of Proposition 8 and presents no studies, data or findings to make his case. His arguments crumble when he and the witnesses make statements like “I don’t have to have evidence to prove”, “It is on the internet” etc. One of the witnesses, Mr. Blakenhorn (brilliantly played by John C. Reilly) scores a same-side goal and ends up supporting same-sex marriage! The most crucial moment in the case comes when Judge Walker asks Cooper how allowing same-sex couples to marry will negatively impact heterosexual marriages and procreation. In response to this key question, Cooper hesitates and, significantly, can only muster three words: “I don’t know.”

Seven million people in California voted against same-sex marriage, but only two came to the court to testify. Boies’ closing statement stresses this point. “When they come into court they have to support and defend their opinions under oath. In cross examinations, those opinions just melt away! There simply wasn’t any evidence, there weren’t any empirical studies, its made up. It’s junk science. It’s easy to say that on television, but the witness stand is a lonely place to lie. When you come into court you can’t do that. And that’s what we did. We put fear and prejudice on trial.” Olson concludes the argument with extremely powerful statements comparing the fight for same-sex marriage to the fight to allow interracial marriage. Sheen’s performance in these few minutes gives you goosebumps!

Everyone in the cast plays their part to perfection. Jane Lynch, as National Organization of Marriage’s Maggie Gallagher, is hilarious! Chis Colfer makes a strong impact as a person who went through (failed) conversion therapy. George Clooney is a delight to watch. And of course, Brad Pitt as Judge Walker puts out a restrained and awesome performance.

“8” is a must watch!

Sources: Wikipedia.org, Afer.org


Watch the play on Youtube.

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